John Legend first appears in 2004 with his wonderful performance. After two years, he has experienced a lot and has become more mature
November 6, 2006 (Press Release) --
John Legend made his first auspicious appearance on a Chicago stage in February 2004, duplicating the keyboard and backing vocal parts he performed on the debut album by his friend Kanye West, which had been released a week earlier.
"I remember that night really well," Legend recently said of that show at the House of Blues. "It was something special, playing with Kanye in his hometown, celebrating the release of 'The College Dropout.' "
But that was only the first in series of high points in the months that followed: By early 2005, Legend would be a major star in his own right, having sold almost 2 million copies of his debut, "Get Lifted," and snaring three Grammys, including Best New Artist.
Now, with his second album, "Once Again," the 27-year-old singer and songwriter is sealing his reputation as one of the most talented new voices in R&B, and he's returning to Chicago fronting his own nine-piece band and headlining at the Riviera Theatre on Thursday.
"It's been a heck of a ride," Legend said with a laugh. "And Chicago feels like family. If I'm not a favorite son, well, at least I'm a second cousin."
Start as session piano man
Born John Stephens in Springfield, Ohio, the musician can be forgiven for choosing such a boastful stage name, since he seemed destined for success early on: He graduated from his high school as the salutatorian at 16 and served as both prom king and president of the student council. While studying African-American literature at the University of Pennsylvania, he served as the music director at a local church, and wound up befriending some impressive members of Philly's burgeoning neo-soul movement, including a former Fugee who tapped him to play piano on her 1998 hit, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." But it was another fortuitous meeting that led to his big break.
"I met Kanye in 2001 in New York City; he had just moved out here, and his cousin, Devon Harris, went to college with me and was my roommate in New York at the time," Legend said. "It's a very small world. Kanye wasn't famous yet: He was still a young producer trying to make it, and I met him before his big break came when Jay-Z used his song as the first single on 'The Blueprint.' After that, he really became an in-demand producer, and he was able to use his position to get me work. He would bring me in to play piano on the records he was producing for other people."
Legend joined West in the studio to contribute to albums by Talib Kweli, Common and Mary J. Blige, among others. In between, the keyboardist helped the producer with his own project. "At the time, it was just a demo, because Kanye didn't have a record deal as an artist yet. But that demo became 'The College Dropout,' and I was singing on those tracks back when he was still recording in his apartment in Newark, N.J. We met back then and we just kept working together, and obviously, he blew up, and he was able to bring me with him."
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
Posted by Jim DeRogartis
"I remember that night really well," Legend recently said of that show at the House of Blues. "It was something special, playing with Kanye in his hometown, celebrating the release of 'The College Dropout.' "
But that was only the first in series of high points in the months that followed: By early 2005, Legend would be a major star in his own right, having sold almost 2 million copies of his debut, "Get Lifted," and snaring three Grammys, including Best New Artist.
Now, with his second album, "Once Again," the 27-year-old singer and songwriter is sealing his reputation as one of the most talented new voices in R&B, and he's returning to Chicago fronting his own nine-piece band and headlining at the Riviera Theatre on Thursday.
"It's been a heck of a ride," Legend said with a laugh. "And Chicago feels like family. If I'm not a favorite son, well, at least I'm a second cousin."
Start as session piano man
Born John Stephens in Springfield, Ohio, the musician can be forgiven for choosing such a boastful stage name, since he seemed destined for success early on: He graduated from his high school as the salutatorian at 16 and served as both prom king and president of the student council. While studying African-American literature at the University of Pennsylvania, he served as the music director at a local church, and wound up befriending some impressive members of Philly's burgeoning neo-soul movement, including a former Fugee who tapped him to play piano on her 1998 hit, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." But it was another fortuitous meeting that led to his big break.
"I met Kanye in 2001 in New York City; he had just moved out here, and his cousin, Devon Harris, went to college with me and was my roommate in New York at the time," Legend said. "It's a very small world. Kanye wasn't famous yet: He was still a young producer trying to make it, and I met him before his big break came when Jay-Z used his song as the first single on 'The Blueprint.' After that, he really became an in-demand producer, and he was able to use his position to get me work. He would bring me in to play piano on the records he was producing for other people."
Legend joined West in the studio to contribute to albums by Talib Kweli, Common and Mary J. Blige, among others. In between, the keyboardist helped the producer with his own project. "At the time, it was just a demo, because Kanye didn't have a record deal as an artist yet. But that demo became 'The College Dropout,' and I was singing on those tracks back when he was still recording in his apartment in Newark, N.J. We met back then and we just kept working together, and obviously, he blew up, and he was able to bring me with him."
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
Posted by Jim DeRogartis
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